Rolling Jazz Revue at StartleFest

Rolling Jazz Revue at StartleFest 


Alabama Music Office.com goes to the first annual StartleFest at Lowe Mill in Huntsville, Alabama. StartleFest happened in the Flying Monkey Theatre and was presented by Startlingly Fresh Records.
Their Facebook page says, "We play modern jazz... very rock and r&b influenced... some free jazz... lots of original music."
Members Jim Cavender- guitar
Newt Johnson- keys
Nick Walker- bass
Aaron Cox- drums
Jeff Woods- percussion

STARTLEFEST -- JUNE 8, ISSUE 175 5/30/13-Valley Planet

by Jane DeNeefe

Huntsville is blessed with a rich array of musical talent, including networks of musicians who reach across genre and generational lines sharing knowledge and fresh ideas.

Seasoned guitarist Jim Cavender draws inspiration from the old jazz, gospel, blues and soul roots of Americana even when he works on new, original songs. As a music teacher and producer, his reach extends into the future as well. When a former UAH jazz student, Newt Johnson, approached Jim with the idea of starting an energetic, funky jazz band that would play all original material, Jim was intrigued.

Collaborator Terri Cavender recalls, "Newt really inspired Jim to reach out and create new music with Rolling Jazz Revue. Then Newt convinced us that the three of us could start our own record company." Several albums later, their label, Startlingly Fresh, is holding a festival, StartleFest, as a special event to celebrate the release of their five most recent CDs and to showcase the local talent they record.

StartleFest will be an evening festival of local bands, videos, food and fun on Saturday June 8, 5pm to midnight, at Lowe Mill's Flying Monkey. The Flying Monkey Theater is the main stage, but when you ride the old elevator to the second floor of Lowe Mill and stroll along the Flying Monkey corridor you will find other interesting StartleFest diversions, like a stage inside Beloved Books for jazz and acoustic acts, a photo booth, and a Startlingly Fresh Video Festival inside the studio of Squeaking Tribe Puppets. (Check YouTube for a video collaboration between Squeaking Tribe Puppets and Rolling Jazz Revue called "Whistle Past the Graveyard.") Other attractions will include a Startling Dance Contest and a Startling Cook-off with categories like "most startling presentation." Please see the Startlingly Fresh Facebook page for more info.

Bands playing live at the festival who also have new releases include: The Dawn Osborne Band, with their eponymous release of original "jazzy, soulful Americana;" Trio El Camino's "hot organ r&b;" Rolling Jazz Revue's fifth album, "rjr;" and guitar duets with Jim Cavender and Josh Couts. Host band pleasPlease will release "I Dream of Jonny." Singers Ivy Joe Milan and Criss Ashwell will represent "Bookaroo," a live recording of a 2009 jam session at Huntsville's main library, and jazz pianist Keith Taylor (Startlingly Fresh CD "O Christmas Tree-O") will be there to play new work. Startlingly Fresh recording artist Jana Savanapridi will perform with Matt Bakula (Pine Hill Haints) as the Thunderfakers , and with visual artist and songwriter Robert Daniel as the Baker Street Irregulars. Daniel writes insightful songs based on the movies he watches.

Jana also performs with pleasPlease, the official hosts of the main stage. PleasPlease, with their dazzling leader Jonny Request and their crazy fake-TV show format, will emcee the show and play songs between the acts. Jana explains, "Sure Jim is an accomplished musician, but he also needs an outlet for his twisted sense of humor." Hence, pleasPlease. Expect original music, creativity, collaboration and door prizes.

Jane DeNeefe is the author of Rocket City Rock and Soul: Huntsville Musicians Remember the 1960s.

Keith Taylor and Roberts Silva at StartleFest

Alabama Music Office.com goes to Huntsville, Alabama to attend the first annual StartleFest at the Flying Monkey Theatre in Lowe Mill. This performance was actually in the book store in Lowe Mill. "From A Distance" was requested by one of their devoted fans. StartleFest was presented by Startlingly Fresh Records.

Lowe Mill in Huntsville, Alabama

Lowe Mill in Huntsville, Alabama


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Lowe Mill in Huntsville, Alabama to attend the first annual StartleFest in the Flying Monkey Theatre in Lowe Mill. This is a great place for art and music!

Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment is the Southeast's largest center for the arts. With over 100 working artists, small businesses, restaurants, and live performance venues, this huge historic textile mill is now a rising home for music, art, and culture. Visitors are encouraged to enter the studios and speak with artists to learn about their work processes, inspirations, and to purchase work. Check the event calendar and public hours for visiting times and Y'all Come!

Dawn Osborne Band at StartleFest

Dawn Osborne Band at StartleFest


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Huntsville, Alabama to attend the first annual StartleFest at the Flying Monkey Theatre in Lowe Mill.

Dawn Osborne Band "Dawn Osborne Band"
"This is mainstream pop/rock/R&B that still manages to be unique, Cavender says. "With Dawn's incredible voice leading the way, they aim for the heart, brain and booty all at once, and never miss. Dawn cut the early scratch vocal tracks when she had a cold, and I still hesitated on recutting her singing because it sounded so good."

The Dawn Osborne Band is a band with roots in Jazz, Bluegrass, Soul, and Folk mixed skillfully into what can only be described as true Americana. In addition to the varied feel of their original music, The Dawn Osborne Band also takes beloved classics and give them a whole new flavor, uniquely their own. A combination of melodic bass lines, driving drum beats, soaring guitar riffs, and gut wrenching vocals will ensure you come back time and time again!

Members Dawn Osborne- Vocals
Andrew Sharpe- Bass, Vocals
Newt Johnson-Keys, Vocals
Aaron Cox-Drums

Huntsville's StartleFest Highlights

Huntsville's StartleFest Highlights


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Huntsville, Alabama to attend the first annual StartleFest presented by Startling Fresh Records. The event took place at the Flying Monkey Theatre in Lowe Mill.

Startlingly Fresh Records producer Jim Cavender breaks down Huntsville label's six upcoming releases By Matt Wake

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Roots musician Jim Cavender has so many albums coming out, it makes Lil Wayne (who at one point seemed to appear on a new rap single, mixtape or LP every 10 to 14 days) look like Dr. Dre (who's been working approximately 4,272 days thus far on his "Detox" album with no release date in sight).

Cavender is co-owner of Startlingly Fresh Records.

The Huntsville label is dropping new releases from at least six local acts at their June 8 StartleFest concert, and Cavender appears on every one of the following records as a producer, musician or both. I asked him to break down each release.

Dawn Osborne Band "Dawn Osborne Band"
"This is mainstream pop/rock/R&B that still manages to be unique, Cavender says. "With Dawn's incredible voice leading the way, they aim for the heart, brain and booty all at once, and never miss. Dawn cut the early scratch vocal tracks when she had a cold, and I still hesitated on recutting her singing because it sounded so good."

Ivy Joe Milan "Hey Baby (It Won't Be Wrong)/America!" CD single
"Ivy Joe is a local legend and a very cool guy. We're in the midst of a full CD project on him, but for now this preview single will have to do. He wrote both numbers, sings and plays congas and assorted percussion."

Rolling Jazz Revue "rjr"
 "We cut this in two sessions at Southwood Presbyterian Church in Jones Valley, with James Parker co-producing. He did a dynamite job on the technical end, but also provided some much-needed perspective. We thought the second session was a disaster until he gave us rough mixes of the best takes. This is our fifth CD, but the first with the current lineup."

PleasPlease "I Dream Of Jonny"
 "This is a band whose sound changes from song to song - requested songs are rearranged to 'surprise' the requester. The brainstorming sessions for coming up with arrangements give me an idea of what it must've been like to work on old Warner Brothers cartoons. It's hard to stop laughing long enough to get any work done."

Trio El Camino "Trio El Camino"
"Newt Johnson, Mike Dendy and I have had this band for several years now, and this CD is divided between tunes we've perfected on live gigs and songs I sprung on them during the recording process. I love the balance between live energy and studio experimentation. And I love our cover of 'Louie Louie' we threw together overnight for Brad Posey's 'Invisible City' show on WLRH."

Jim Cavender and Josh Couts "The Odd Couple" and "Fridays At Noon"
"Josh is an incredible guitarist and he suggested doing these duets, a kind of playing with which I have little experience. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and the song list includes a few numbers no one would consider likely jazz tunes until now."
Source: http://www.al.com/entertainment/index...

Trio El Camino at StartleFest

Trio El Camino at StartleFest


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Huntsville, Alabama to attend StartleFest at the Flying Monkey Theatre in Lowe Mill. This was the first annual StartleFest.

Startlingly Fresh Records producer Jim Cavender breaks down Huntsville label's six upcoming releases By Matt Wake
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Roots musician Jim Cavender has so many albums coming out, it makes Lil Wayne (who at one point seemed to appear on a new rap single, mixtape or LP every 10 to 14 days) look like Dr. Dre (who's been working approximately 4,272 days thus far on his "Detox" album with no release date in sight).

Cavender is co-owner of Startlingly Fresh Records.

The Huntsville label is dropping new releases from at least six local acts at their June 8 StartleFest concert, and Cavender appears on every one of the following records as a producer, musician or both. I asked him to break down each release.

Dawn Osborne Band "Dawn Osborne Band"
"This is mainstream pop/rock/R&B that still manages to be unique, Cavender says. "With Dawn's incredible voice leading the way, they aim for the heart, brain and booty all at once, and never miss. Dawn cut the early scratch vocal tracks when she had a cold, and I still hesitated on recutting her singing because it sounded so good."

Ivy Joe Milan "Hey Baby (It Won't Be Wrong)/America!" CD single
"Ivy Joe is a local legend and a very cool guy. We're in the midst of a full CD project on him, but for now this preview single will have to do. He wrote both numbers, sings and plays congas and assorted percussion."

Rolling Jazz Revue "rjr"
 "We cut this in two sessions at Southwood Presbyterian Church in Jones Valley, with James Parker co-producing. He did a dynamite job on the technical end, but also provided some much-needed perspective. We thought the second session was a disaster until he gave us rough mixes of the best takes. This is our fifth CD, but the first with the current lineup."

PleasPlease "I Dream Of Jonny"
 "This is a band whose sound changes from song to song - requested songs are rearranged to 'surprise' the requester. The brainstorming sessions for coming up with arrangements give me an idea of what it must've been like to work on old Warner Brothers cartoons. It's hard to stop laughing long enough to get any work done."

Trio El Camino "Trio El Camino"
"Newt Johnson, Mike Dendy and I have had this band for several years now, and this CD is divided between tunes we've perfected on live gigs and songs I sprung on them during the recording process. I love the balance between live energy and studio experimentation. And I love our cover of 'Louie Louie' we threw together overnight for Brad Posey's 'Invisible City' show on WLRH."

Jim Cavender and Josh Couts "The Odd Couple" and "Fridays At Noon"
"Josh is an incredible guitarist and he suggested doing these duets, a kind of playing with which I have little experience. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and the song list includes a few numbers no one would consider likely jazz tunes until now."
Source: http://www.al.com/entertainment/index...

Jim Cavender Interview

Jim Cavender Interview


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Huntsville, Alabama to attend StartleFest at the Flying Monkey Theatre in Lowe Mill. While there we were able to interview Jim Cavender. This was the first annual StartleFest presented by Startling Fresh Records.

His MySpace page reads:
I'm a singer-guitarist-bassist-occasional drummer-songwriter doing a lot of local gigs and working hard at perfecting a low-budget home recording operation. I also teach guitar and bass lessons and a couple of jazz combo classes part-time at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. Over the years I've gotten to play bass for Bo Diddley (twice!), guitar for Percy Sledge, bongos (!) for Chocolate Armenteros, and there's probably others that I can't remember right now. I used to run a couple of open-mic nights around here, and got to back up Jimmy Hall, Archie Bell & The Drells, a lot of amazing local talent and a lot of drunken assholes. Being a musician has taken me all over the States, Cuba (got to play with pianist Roberto Carcasses, trumpeter Julio Padron, and some other monster players there), Sweden and Colombia, and I've got a long list of destinations that I'm hoping to add to that later.

I've been in so many bands there's no point listing them all, but they include The Jungle (jazz, 1984-88, with Ken Watters, Dave Anderson and Mark Smith), Swine Cadillac (blues, 1991-92, hello Guitar George and Bruce!), Then Again (rock, 1993-94, with Dave and Mark again, as well as Antony and Andrew Sharpe of Toy Shop), Roadside Pharaohs (rock and r&b, 1995-2000, with Mike Dendy and Rick Taylor) and The Rocket Scientists (surf, 2003-2006, with Santanu Mitra, Chris Fitts and Brian Dawson).

Some recordings I've produced over the years include: The Snake Doctors (1997), Brothers, Ken and Harry Watters (1999), Black Boots & A Suitcase, Joshua Black Wilkins (2000), Along The Anchorline, The Skip Heller Trio (2007) and, of course, all those pictured above.
Source: http://www.myspace.com/jimcavender

Jess Meuse at Iron City

Alabama Music Office.com goes to Iron City on the Southside in Birmingham, Alabama. My hat is off to Iron City for providing live music during happy hour. Which is a tradition in most cities our size. Hopefully other venues will provide happy hour gigs for more local musicians. Again Iron City, Thank You!
Thursday nights talent was new comer Jess (Jessica) Meuse. This young lady has confidence and is comfortable on stage. I can see a tele around her neck and musicians at her back in the future.

From Reverbnation we find:
Jess Meuse-Musician/Singer/Songwriter.
I'm Jess. I was born in Texas, and I currently live in Slapout, Alabama. I have always had a passion for music, and it has been with me since I was a toddler. I wrote my first song when I was 18 in response to a real-life situation, and my writing just continued to mature from that day on. I taught myself guitar during my high school days, and I'm still driven to advance my skill as a guitarist. I've always been a singer, though, ever since I can remember.

All of my songs are a part of me, and they're all true stories.
My influences have been affected by literally every genre of music. My music is a blend of rock with a southern twist from my country influence from growing up on country music!
To list a few of my musical idols: Coldplay, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Stevie Nicks, Death Cab for Cutie, Shinedown, Apocalyptica, Alter Bridge, GroupLove, and Bruno Mars.
My shows include a variety of songs, including both originals and covers.
205.294.2474 FOR BOOKING INFORMATION!!!!

Kent DuChaine sings the blues at DanielDay Gallery

Alabama Music Office.com goes to DanielDay Gallery to attend a performance by Kent DuChaine and his guitar Leadbessie. Kent is a traveling singer/old school guitar player, storyteller and historian. He draws huge crowds at every performance in Europe. On this beautiful afternoon in Birmingham, Alabama only a few showed up for his always-give-it-your-all best. Thank you Daniel Day for your venue.
Blues needs support. That support begins with YOU!

Alabama Music Office visits DanielDay Gallery

Alabama Music Office.com visits DanielDay Gallery at 3025 6th Ave. South in Birmingham, Alabama. DanielDay Gallery and Dream Mecca Studio is a place for art and music. This video shares both. Kick back and listen to Kent DuChaine and Leadbessie while reviewing some of the artwork and their performers wall of event flyers.Great place, great folks that run it!

Kent Duchaine at DanielDay Gallery singing about Florida Keys

Kent Duchaine at DanielDay Gallery singing about Florida Keys


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Southside in Birmingham, Alabama to attend a performance by Kent Duchaine & Leadbessie.
Kent DuChaine has listened to, hung out with, opened up for, traveled and played with most of the great Blues men and women his whole adult life. The list is too long to name them all, but some of the major ones are:  Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, BB, Albert and Freddie King, Willie Dixon, Bukka White, Johnny Shines, Robert JR Lockwood, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Furry Lewis and Son House. These were the big Country and Urban Blues influences who Kent heard and/or played with.
Kent's early days with the Blues involved him both living and learning the Blues life.
He has played in most of the major Blues festivals in the U.S.A. and Europe and was part of a Grammy nominated album recorded at the prestigious Smithsonian Institute Festival of Folk Life in Washington D.C. The theme of the festival was "The Roots of Rhythm & Blues, The Robert Johnson Era" and was recorded and released by Sony Music. It featured Robert Johnson's old buddies, Johnny Shines, Robert JR Lockwood, Honeyboy Edwards, and Henry Townsend.
Kent attended two of the early "Ann Arbor Blues Festivals" in the 70's. It united together virtually every important Blues man and woman in the world who performed for the three days and nights in August.
His dedication and talent for the blues earned him the honor of opening two shows for Bukka White, spending time with Mississippi Fred McDowell and befriending his hometown Bluesmen, Lazy Bill Lucas and Mojo Buford in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has even hung out with Muddy Waters who he later paid his last respects to at Muddys' funeral in Chicago. You will have to wait till you see him on stage to hear if he took up Muddy's offer of some reefer and  Champagne!
The Blues were happening all around Kent at this time and he ended up playing alongside Kim Wilson in a band called "Aces, Straights & Shuffles". Willie Dixon heard the band and complimented Kent on his slide playing sounding like a young Muddy Waters. Willie arranged a recording contract for the boys to help them launch their career by putting them on stage with Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins and Margie Evans.
Kent spent time in Austin, Texas in the mid 70's, soaking up the blues at "Antone's", who where beginning to bring in alot of the old Blues men. He met Stevie Ray Vaughn and learned that there where others who shared the same passion and respect for the real Blues.
Around this time the most incredible thing happened: after searching for ten years, Kent found his beloved 1934 National Steel guitar, Leadbessie.
After some time, Kent could see that the solo Blues life was where he wanted to go. Traveling the roads alone allowed him the opportunities he was seeking. Following the Blues trails unhindered gave him the freedom to play where and when he wanted, for what ever he could get, even if it was just a meal and a drink.  The solo life built his following, reputation and talent for the real Blues.
By the late 80's he was doing 300+ shows a year all over N. America. He was blessed by the Blues in 1989 by coming across the great Johnny Shines who was living in Alabama. Kent had been based there already for seven years so he knew his way around. The two of them together where a sight to see...." The Young and the Old". Kent and Johnny traveled for three years and did over 200 shows together. He also recorded a W.C. Handy award winning album with Johnny and Snooky Pryor. The Blues rained down April 21st 1992, just four days before the two of them where to celebrate their birthdays together, Johnny passsed away. Kent understanding that this is life, carried on alone.
He has spent most of the last 20 years traveling back and forth to Europe and has done close to 100 European tours of 4-6 weeks each. He has logged millions of miles and many 1000's of shows.
You can have the opportunity to see what Kent DuChaine can do and hear what he knows by booking him for yourself!

Holley Johnson Malone Interview

Holley Johnson Malone Interview


Alabama Music Office.com goes to Vestavia Hills near Birmingham, Alabama to interview Holley Johnson Malone.

Holley Johnson Malone-Late blooming over comer says -"It's never too late!"
By Jerry W. Henry

We want to thank the new Vestavia Hills Library for the use of their facilities. The Library is a beautiful building set in a wooded landscape.

Holley Johnson Malone is a thirty something that has recently started making her dreams come true. Her dream is to be part of the world of music. Holley was born into a musical family in Killen, Alabama. Her parents were both musicians. Her father played the guitar and several different horns. Her mother is a guitar playing folk singer. She has an aunt with a beautiful operatic voice that was classically trained at Julliard. Her uncle is a guitar playing songwriter.

Holley was born with severe hearing loss. Her mother told her that as a baby and toddler, she would call her name and she would not respond. Her parents took her to a doctor that confirmed their observations and operated.  The operation was successful in restoring much of Holley's hearing.
As she says, "I was gifted with the ability to sing." Her family didn't know she could sing until she was twelve years old. She was singing in the shower, and when finished, opened the bathroom door. Her family was there to applaud. She says, "It was kind of cool to be acknowledged for something they figured I would never be able to do."

She took choral and band classes through out her school days. She got additional voice coaching during family get-togethers. Music was always part of family gatherings. "Guitars, banjos, pianos and loud, loud women singing," she laughingly tells me. She played saxophone in band, but her heart was in being a vocalist.

Music took a back seat to making a living when she left home at an early age. She wanted to make it on her own. Times were hard but she did it her way regardless. Eventually she met and married, and had two children. The marriage didn't last. She has worked at office positions,  in health care and now works for an accounting firm. All the while there was a yearning to sing.

A guitar-playing friend of hers wanted to start an open mic night. She helped him establish his open mic night and in doing so that put her before the public as a singer. She was hooked! The open mic night led to an opportunity for her to meet Kendra Sutton. Kendra told her, "You have a voice that needs to be heard." That is what she needed to hear. Now Kendra and Holley are band mates in Hallelujah Junction where Mike Mizell plays guitar, Mike Hill on bass and Alan Nettles on drums.

Holley told me, "I knew I needed to sing. I know I need to sing. Singing is something I have to do. I don't know how else to explain it. To have people that I don't know that well, hear me and want to continue to hear me. For them to say they are moved by the things that I sing. It's very rewarding. It's a fundamental joy. It's phenomenal! It's been wonderful!"

She talks about being a member of Hallelujah Junction, "I am the newbie in the group. I am the youngest person in the band, but not by much because Kendra and I are close in age. I have only been doing this for a little while and I feel very blessed to have these seasoned musicians bring me into their fold. They teach me knew things and at the same time they are very complimentary. It feels really nice to be acknowledged for the talent I have and I have been able to come into my own." She continues, "I've earned it. I've been paying my dues and it makes me feel so blessed and so happy to have finally found a way to express this side of myself. It's just great after twenty years in the work force and then to be able to play music every single week with these great people is very rewarding, very rewarding!"

Where does she see her music going? She answers, wherever it will take me. The sky is the limit as far as I am concerned. If you want to hear me then I am willing to sing. I love it. I love it enough to do it the rest of my life. I don't want to set a bar. Because I believe energy follows thought. So if I think big it's going to be big. That's just me. I'm going to be positive!"

Published in June 2013 Issue of Tannehill Trader